


Someday soon when I’m gone

by HikariYumi



Series: Touching the sky [7]
Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Adopted Connor, Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - No Androids (Detroit: Become Human), Cuddling & Snuggling, Father-Son Relationship, Gen, Good Parent Hank Anderson, Hank Being Awesome, Hurt Sumo, Hurt/Comfort, Kid Connor, Kid Fic, Kinda, Medical Inaccuracies, No Androids, Sick Sumo, Sickfic, Teenage Connor, Veterinary Clinic, scared connor, scared hank
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-28
Updated: 2018-11-28
Packaged: 2019-09-01 20:56:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,759
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16772782
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HikariYumi/pseuds/HikariYumi
Summary: Sumo is behaving strangely, Hank and Sumo spend a night in a veterinary clinic.





	Someday soon when I’m gone

**Author's Note:**

> Hello,  
> It’s been a while.
> 
> So.. this was planned to be the last instalment of the series. But it came different.  
> Why? Because a few weeks ago my dog fell sick and he’s still worrying me a lot. This fanfic has been an outlet and the described clinic actually exists. Spend there quite a few hours.
> 
> Anyway, Sumo will be alright. I didn’t want to let him die in this series... he deserves better. (I wrote a fanfic with him dying though, because I needed to, but I’m babbling)
> 
> Sorry if this is not what you anticipated or hoped for, the proper last story will be up...... at some point. I won’t make promises but I won’t forget about it.
> 
> Shoutout to that kind reviewer who asked a few days ago when I’ll upload again. You gave me quite some motivation there. :)  
> Thank you! Hope you aren’t too disappointed.
> 
> That should be all,  
> I have my best to research a bit to avoid too much misinformation, but if i mixed up expressions I’m sorry... I’m German and that’s confusing... :)
> 
> ~Hikari

“I’m home,” Connor announced before he bent down to greet Sumo who’d come to welcome the boy at the door.  
“You’ve had a good day?”

Hank wasn’t really paid attention to in favour of the enormous dog who thoroughly enjoyed his scratching.  
“Everything has been as it always is.”  
By now the lieutenant wasn’t steered by the vague answers of his son anymore, so he only leaned in the halfway watching the pair.

“Did Simon give you the recipe he wanted to look up for me? I should have everything we need here to try it out.”  
Connor still kept his concentration on the dog, nothing too unusual, but his posture was a bit stiffer, if Hank wasn’t mistaken.  
“I haven’t been with him during lunch. But I’ll ask him tomorrow. Or I could call him if you need it today.”

“Oh? Was he busy with the debate club again?”  
Brown eyes found his, holding his gaze for a long moment before Connor looked down again.  
“I’ve spend the break with a boy from class.” 

To say that Hank was surprised would’ve been an understatement, but after a moment of contemplating he decided that it might be better not to press the issue. For now.

“Okay then, maybe you’ll introduce us at some point. For now though call Simon because I don’t want to let the food go to waste.”  
“I don’t think there’s a need to bring him home.”

After a final pat for Sumo, the kid grabbed his bag and his phone and left for his room.   
Hank couldn’t shake the thought that something was off.

~

The lieutenant woke to the silent clack of the front door being pulled closed, followed by sedated tapping of giant dog paws.   
As usual Connor had used dog walking as warm up for his - now established - morning run. After the first few times, the kid had started going to the park on his own, unwilling to ‘bother Gavin’ into keeping a solid schedule.  
At the beginning Hank had hesitated to let the fifteen-year old walk around at the crack of dawn on his own, but those worries had settled.

Connor had promised him to keep his phone on him every time and not to leave the jogging tracks of the park. Fortunately, there were other insane people who thought physical activity before work or school were a great idea, so there were people looking out for the kid.

Bowing to the established routine, Hank stretched and climbed out of bed to get the coffee maker running before stepping into the shower. By now the two of them had figured out how to time their mornings that Hank had himself and some breakfast ready when the boy arrived, so they could share some quality time before parting ways for the day.

Depending on the lieutenants shift he would either leave for work directly after breakfast or go to sleep, when he’d just retuned from work. Both of them enjoyed the opportunity, but that didn’t mean Hank wouldn’t hate getting up early or stop complaining about it.

Forty minutes later a slightly sweaty Connor joined him at he table for a stack of waffles and coffee, eyes flickering over to the dog in the living room.  
“Sumo’s been eager to get home lately. He keeps trying to shorten our walks.”  
Hank smiled fondly at his son’s concern, but was quick to reassure him.  
“He’s alright, kid. Folks my age aren’t so keen on running around like you are.”  
Connor ducked his head and smiled with a tad melancholy at the notion of Sumo growing old.  
“Don’t worry about it now, he’s going to pester us for a few more years, I promise.”

~

Hank returned home from work a few evenings later to be greeted by his son doing some kind of homework in the living room. Only at his second glance the lieutenant noticed that he wasn’t blanketed by one of the comforters against the chilly winter air, but by Sumo.

“Hey kid, you’ve eaten already?”  
Connor sent him a tiny smile before concentrating his eyes back on his book.  
“Yes, I wasn’t sure when you’d be home. Sumo kept me and the chicken company. If you want some, I put the leftovers into the fridge.”

Grumbling his thanks, Hank went to get changed into something more comfortable, silently revelling in the way the kid started to become more happy in his own skin again again. Puberty had been not as rough as it could’ve been, but Hank wasn’t taking any chances.

Sumo had extracted himself from his cushion and was waiting for Hank in the kitchen.   
“Smart dog, I know you’re listening to every word we’re saying.”  
A faint chuckle sounded over from the living room.

While the chicken was heating up, the lieutenant bent down to get the dog food from under the sink. He had to remember to pick a new bag up from the store this week, maybe along with some milk, they were running low.

~

The rest of the evening was spent in companionable silence, Connor was reading the novel he had borrowed from the library the day before and Hank flipped through one of his magazines.  
It was easy and nice, definitely one of the better ways of unwinding after a long day.

Connor cracked a yawn and stretched languidly.  
“Yeah, sleep is a good idea”, Hank agreed with the sentiment, tossing the magazine on the coffee table.

“Sumo? Sumo, what’s wrong?”

Hank’s body immediately reacted to the worry in his son’s voice and his eyes flung over to the St. Bernard.  
The dog stood in the corner next to his bed, staring blankly ahead. For Sumo, who was as lethargic and lazy as Hank himself, standing when he didn’t have to, was strange.

Connor crawled over to the dog and gently stroked the giant head. A deep sound, not too different from a sigh, escaped Sumo, then he dropped his head low.

There was visible strain in his neck even under the thick fur, the most obvious sign of the discomfort the dog appeared to be in.  
Worry morphed into fear and Hank could see his own feelings reflected in his son’s face.

“Is he in pain? What is the matter? Hank?”

But before the lieutenant could think of something to say, Sumo’s body grew rigid and the dog started retching. Even though he hadn’t eaten too long ago, nothing came out.  
Hank swallowed, trying to ignore his son’s rising panic, and think.

“Dad, we have to do something! Dad!”  
Connor rarely ever rose his voice, so the helplessness edging into hysterics shocked Hank out of his stupor.

“I’m going to call a vet. I don’t know if they are still open right now, but I’ll try. Stay with him and tell me if he gets worse.”

As expected none of the local veterinary practises were open anymore, but the answering machines informed Hank about an animal clinic that operated around the clock.  
Dialling that new number he returned to the living room.

“Did anything change?”  
Connor’s face was white as a sheet as he shook his head and instantly turned his eyes back on the dog.

“Detroit vet clinic, how can I help you?”  
A pleasant, female voice greeted him trough the phone.  
“Hello, my name is Anderson, our dog is behaving strange.”  
Hank apparently had lost his ability to make a coherent, informative phone call so the receptionist had to ask a lot of clarifying questions until she had something solid to work with.

“Is his abdomen bloated and hard?”  
Hank repeated the question to Connor who moved to feel the dogs belly.  
“Yes, it is. And he started shivering.”   
During all those years since he had taken the kid in, Hank couldn’t remember hearing his voice ever this toneless.

After the lieutenant relayed the information to the woman on the other end of the phone was silent for a moment, then she said: “Sumo might suffer from a twisted stomach. This is quite serious, Mr. Anderson. It would be good if you could come by immediately so that we can take a look at him.”

“We’ll be there in thirty. Thank you.”  
Hank disconnected the call before the woman could get another word out and grabbed the car keys from the kitchen counter. Connor didn’t need any more information and instead jumped to get the dog leash and their jackets. Neither of them cared that they were both wearing sweatpants, they wouldn’t waste Sumos time with unimportant things right now.

~

The car ride was a tense affair, Hank was pushing the speed limits more than he usually would and didn’t even protest when Connor climbed after the dog on to the backseat.  
It had taken a lot of coaxing to get Sumo out of the house and into the car, which obviously wasn’t suited for a dog his size. Everything was a mess.

The oversized clock on the wall above the registration desk announced that it was nearly eleven when they entered the clinic. Despite the late hour of the day a handful of people were scattered around at some delicate tables which served as a waiting area. Honestly, the clinic resembled one of those modern cafés more than a hospital.

The forefront of the building would certainly be sun filled at any other time of the day, the glass wall that made up the entrance would make sure of that. Everything else was light wood with colourful decor all around.  
It was so at odds with human hospitals that Hank was thrown into a loop by it. 

If Connor was as startled as him, the kid was better at handling it. Again, he coaxed Sumo through the door and to the desk where a woman was seated.  
Hank snapped out of his thoughts and rushed after the boy and their dog.

“Anderson, I called ahead? You said it might be a twisted stomach or something?”  
There was recognition on the woman’s face, so the lieutenant assumed it must’ve been the same as on the phone. Her name tag read ‘Lisa Ottrop’ and below that ‘doctors assistant’.

“Oh yes, it’s Sumo isn’t it? If you could fill this out, I’ll go and inform the doctor.”  
And just like that, Hank sat on one of those ridiculous chairs with the clipboard balanced on the narrow tabletop.  
After flipping through the pages he thanked fate that he had most of the important information memorised, because he hadn’t thought to bring Sumo’s papers.

Meanwhile Connor kneeled next to the dog who had again assumed his rigid stance. Hank could swear that Sumo stared at him pleading for help.

He rushed through the documents before returning to the front desk and asking, nearly pleading if he could complete the missing information at a later date. Fortunately the assistant agreed to that and assured Hank, that the doctor would be ready to see their dog soon.

“Dad, will Sumo die?”   
Hank choked on his reassurance when confronted with the painfully scared face of his kid. Connor had carefully wrapped his arms around Sumos neck, mindful not to put any pressure on him. 

“I don’t know, kid, I don’t know.”

They stayed like this for a few long minutes, waiting in silence, until finally a young man called out to them.  
Against all his instincts, Hank handed Sumos leash to the second assistant and watched with Connor how they disappeared into an examination room.   
Damn those clinics and their rules against owners staying with their pets.

~

Time went by, a couple was happily reunited with their little tabby cat, a man who found some kind of small animal came to have it checked out and eventually a whole family arrived to have their dog put down.

Connor silently watched how the five people crowded around their bobtail, noticeably upset. The dog was obviously well-loved and already quite weak.   
Not too long after they were led into a room down the hall, all together.

The boy’s eyes found Hank’s again. For a moment it seemed as if he would ask again if Sumo would survive the night, but Connor stayed silent.  
When the first tears began to fall, Hank wordlessly shuffled his chair over and pulled his son close.

~

By the time one am rolled by, none of the original owners were in the waiting area anymore. It hadn’t been empty once though, it seemed that animals also had the tendency to fall sick in the evenings.

Hank talked briefly to another man who had brought in his cat and was nice enough to get him some coffee from the machine in the corner. He would’ve done it himself, but the lieutenant didn’t want to disturb Connor who’d fallen asleep against him a while ago.

The coffee didn’t do anything to calm his upset stomach but at least it warmed his cold hand. The waiting area wasn’t actually that chilly, so Hank assumed that it had to be the nerves.

“Mr. Anderson?”

Connor jumped into consciousness by the sound of their last name, Hank not long behind.

“Yes?”

They rose from their chairs, a bit awkwardly after sitting still for so long and approached the young woman. Her name tag read vet and surgeon.

“I’m Dr. Roberts, lets go into one of the rooms for some privacy.”

How old was this doctor? She couldn’t be much older than twenty. Hank shook his head, this wasn’t the time for prejudices.   
A cool hand slipped into his own and squeezed it questioningly. 

Connor was still pale, dried tear tracks noticeable over the dark smudges under his eyes. He looked so terrible young, vulnerable like this, it made Hank want to put him somewhere save and protect him forever.

The lieutenant squeezed back and then they entered the empty examination room. Sumo wasn’t in here and the vet only sat down at the barrow computer desk pushed into one corner.   
Hank and the boy took the seats across from it, anxiously waiting which kind of news they were going to receive.

“I will be honest here,   
Gastric dilatation volvulus, or a twisted stomach, isn’t unproblematic. You were lucky that you recognised the signs that quickly, otherwise Sumo might not have survived this.”

Hank felt lightheaded with the sudden rush of relief, Sumo was alive.

“As it is, we administered an IV and performed emergency surgery to correct the issue, he is still asleep in another room. You’ll be able to take him home tomorrow around lunch after we performed some final tests. But I’ve to warn you, now that it has happened once, it may happen again.”

“What can we do?”

It was the first thing Connor had said in hours, voice scratchy and anxious.  
The vet smiled at him kindly, clearly trying to calm the boy down.

“I’m going to give you a dietary plan and I would advice you to feed him tinier portions over the course of the day instead of one big meal. We fixated Sumo’s stomach so that it’s less likely to happen again, but that’s no guarantee. The only other thing I can tell you is not to exercise too much with him before or after feeding. That’s all.”

Hank nodded, determined to follow all the instructions to the point, knowing that Connor next to him was memorising every word.

“Thank you. For everything.”

~

The house was strangely empty without the soothing presence of Sumo. It was two in the morning by then and Hank wasn’t sure he could get sleep anymore at this point.  
Connor though was another matter entirely. He would have to go to school in the morning, different than Hank who would pick up Sumo and afterwards shop for new food.

“Go to bed kid, it’s late. And do yourself a favour and skip the run tomorrow.”  
Connor nodded and vanished into the bathroom to wash up, but later, when Hank was watching some mindless show on his tablet in bed, the kid crept into the room.

“I miss him.”

And damn if Connor didn’t look tired and sad how he stood there in the doorway. A few nights a week Sumo had sneaked into the boy’s room in the evenings and cuddled up to him for sleep. It was no surprise that Connor would be missing that.

“Come here.”

Neither of them mentioned that Connor was a bit too old to sleep in his father’s bed anymore, they just found comfort in each other’s presence and eventually dozed off.

“Good night, kid.”


End file.
